Showing papers on "Interpersonal relationship published in 2002"
TL;DR: In this paper, three dimensions of social presence-social context, online communication, and interactivity-emerged as important elements in establishing a sense of community among online learners, and the privacy factor was also an important element in the level of comfort for students online.
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to study social presence in the online learning environment. Dimensions of social presence were examined using quantitative and qualitative methods. Three dimensions of social presence-social context, online communication, and interactivity-emerged as important elements in establishing a sense of community among online learners. The privacy factor was also an important element in the level of comfort for students online. An increase in the level of online interaction occurs with an improved level of social presence. This can be fostered by considering characteristics of the learners, by selecting the appropriate computer-mediated communication medium, and by applying appropriate instructional elements to course design.
1,027 citations
TL;DR: Prioritizing emotion-regulatory goals was associated with greater social satisfaction and less perceived strain with others when participants perceived their future as limited, and priority of goal domains was found to be differently associated with the size, composition, and perceived quality of personal networks depending on FTP.
Abstract: On the basis of postulates derived from socioemotional selectivity theory, the authors explored the extent to which future time perspective (FTP) is related to social motivation, and to the composition and perceived quality of personal networks. Four hundred eighty German participants with ages ranging from 20 to 90 years took part in the study. In 2 card-sort tasks, participants indicated their partner preference and goal priority. Participants also completed questionnaires on personal networks and social satisfaction. Older people, as a group, perceived their future time as more limited than younger people. Individuals who perceived future time as being limited prioritized emotionally meaningful goals (e.g., generativity, emotion regulation), whereas individuals who perceived their futures as open-ended prioritized instrumental or knowledge-related goals. Priority of goal domains was found to be differently associated with the size, composition, and perceived quality of personal networks depending on FTP. Prioritizing emotion-regulatory goals was associated with greater social satisfaction and less perceived strain with others when participants perceived their future as limited. Findings underscore the importance of FTP in the self-regulation of social relationships and the subjective experience associated with them.
999 citations
TL;DR: Co-rumination refers to extensively discussing and revisiting problems, speculating about problems, and focusing on negative feelings as discussed by the authors, which is related to positive friendship adjustment and problematic emotional adjustment.
Abstract: This research addresses a new construct, co-rumination Co-rumination refers to extensively discussing and revisiting problems, speculating about problems, and focusing on negative feelings Friendship research indicates that self-disclosure leads to close relationships; however, coping research indicates that dwelling on negative topics leads to emotional difficulties Co-rumination is a single construct that integrates both perspectives and is proposed to be related both to positive friendship adjustment and problematic emotional adjustment Third-, fifth-, seventh-, and ninth-grade participants (N = 608) responded to questionnaires, including a new measure of co-rumination Co-rumination was related to high-quality, close friendships and aspects of depression and anxiety Girls reported co-ruminating more than did boys, which helped to account for girls' more positive friendship adjustment and greater internalizing symptoms Other analyses addressed whether co-rumination and the related constructs of self-disclosure and rumination had different relations with friendship and emotional adjustment
923 citations
TL;DR: The nature and outcomes of participation are described, characteristics to define and measure meaningful participation are outlined, and factors that affect participation within the environment, family, and persons are summarized.
Abstract: Participation or involvement in everyday occupations is vital for all humans. As described by the World Health Organization, participation has a positive influence on health and well-being. The presence of disability has been found to lead to participation that is less diverse, is located more in the home, involves fewer social relationships, and includes less active recreation. Occupational therapy is in a unique position to contribute to the development and fulfillment of participation for persons with and without disabilities. This article describes the nature and outcomes of participation. Characteristics to define and measure meaningful participation are outlined. Information about time use will help to develop an understanding of patterns of participation across locations, gender, culture, and the life span. Factors that affect participation within the environment, family, and persons are summarized. Occupational therapy research is needed to examine the complex relationship among person, environment, and participation in occupations. In practice and education, knowledge about participation can enhance the client-centered and evidence-based nature of occupational therapy services.
874 citations
TL;DR: An interpersonal social-cognitive theory of the self and personality, the relational self, is proposed, in which knowledge about the self is linked with knowledge about significant others, and each linkage embodies a self-other relationship.
Abstract: The authors propose an interpersonal social– cognitive theory of the self and personality, the relational self, in which knowledge about the self is linked with knowledge about significant others, and each linkage embodies a self– other relationship. Mental representations of significant others are activated and used in interpersonal encounters in the social– cognitive phenomenon of transference (S. M. Andersen & N. S. Glassman, 1996), and this evokes the relational self. Variability in relational selves depends on interpersonal contextual cues, whereas stability derives from the chronic accessibility of significant-other representations. Relational selves function in if–then terms (W. Mischel & Y. Shoda, 1995), in which ifs are situations triggering transference, and thens are relational selves. An individual’s repertoire of relational selves is a source of interpersonal patterns involving affect, motivation, self-evaluation, and self-regulation. The nature of the self has long perplexed and intrigued scholars across a broad spectrum of academic disciplines. In psychology alone, well over a century of inquiry has translated into a virtual explosion of theory and research in recent decades, especially in social psychology, all aiming to chart the contours of the self. Sharing this aim, we propose an interpersonal social– cognitive theory of the self that draws on theory and research in social cognition, personality psychology, and clinical psychology. Our central argument is that the self is relational— or even entangled— with significant others and that this has implications for selfdefinition, self-evaluation, self-regulation, and, most broadly, for personality functioning, expressed in relation to others. The theory clearly subscribes to the long-standing view that the self is fundamentally interpersonal (e.g., James, 1890). Indeed, we maintain that an individual’s overall repertoire of relational selves, stemming from all his or her relationships, is a major source of the interpersonal patterns that the individual enacts and experiences in the course of everyday interpersonal life—whether at work, at play, or in therapy. The proposed theory focuses on the ways in which the self is related to specific other individuals—namely, the significant oth
766 citations
TL;DR: The central proposal of the present paper is that gender Differences in the experience of stress and in emotional reactions to stress, particularly within an interpersonal context, contribute to the development of gender differences in anxiety and depression during adolescence.
700 citations
TL;DR: The authors develop a cluster of terms around which they argue that qualitative research can meaningfully speak about rigor: attentiveness, empathy, carefulness, sensitivity, respect, reflection, conscientiousness, engagement, awareness, and openness.
Abstract: In this article, the authors discuss the issue of rigor in relation to qualitative social research. It takes a critical focus on the inadequacy of applying a quantitative concept of rigor to evaluate qualitative research. Informed through the researchers’own experience, suggestions are made for a concept of rigor that meets the needs of qualitative research more adequately. Incorporating a notion of ethics, the authors develop a cluster of terms around which they argue that qualitative research can meaningfully speak about rigor: attentiveness, empathy, carefulness, sensitivity, respect, reflection, conscientiousness, engagement,awareness, and openness.
695 citations
TL;DR: The extent and quality of empirical literature on social interaction for young children with autism is reviewed, existing descriptive and experimental research that may inform us of relations between autism and characteristics that support social development, and efforts to promote improved social outcomes are highlighted.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to review the knowledge available from aggregated research (primarily through 2000) on the characteristics of social interactions and social relationships among young children with autism, with special attention to strategies and tactics that promote competence or improved performance in this area. In its commissioning letter for the initial version of this paper, the Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism of the National Research Council requested “a critical, scholarly review of the empirical research on interventions to facilitate the social interactions of children with autism, considering adult–child interactions (where information is available) as well as child–child interactions, and including treatment of [one specific question]: What is the empirical evidence that social irregularities of children with autism are amenable to remediation?” To do this, the paper (a) reviews the extent and quality of empirical literature on social interaction for young children with autism; (b) reviews existing descriptive and experimental research that may inform us of relations between autism and characteristics that support social development, and efforts to promote improved social outcomes (including claims for effectiveness for several specific types of intervention); (c) highlights some possible directions for future research; and (d) summarizes recommendations for educational practices that can be drawn from this research.
576 citations
TL;DR: Overall, sexual satisfaction had stronger links with relationship quality for men than for women, and some evidence was found that sexual satisfaction was associated with relationship stability.
Abstract: This investigation focused on how sexual satisfaction is associated with relationship quality and stability in premarital couples With data collected at multiple times over several years from a sample of heterosexual couples (who were all dating at Time 1), we examined how sexual satisfaction was associated with relationship satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability At each wave of the study, sexual satisfaction was associated positively with relationship satisfaction, love, and commitment for both men and women In addition, change in sexual satisfaction between Time 1 and Time 2 was associated with change over the same period in relationship satisfaction, love, and commitment Furthermore, some evidence was found that sexual satisfaction was associated with relationship stability Overall, sexual satisfaction had stronger links with relationship quality for men than for women
530 citations
TL;DR: This article investigated the effects of three types of interaction (academic, collaborative and social interaction) on learning, satisfaction, participation and attitude towards online learning in a Web-based instruction (WBI) environment.
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of three types of interaction (academic, collaborative and social interaction)on learning, satisfaction, participation and attitude towards online learning in a Web-based instruction (WBI)environment.Academic interaction includes interaction between learners and online resources as well as task-oriented interaction between learners and instructor. Collaborative interaction among learners becomes possible when a group of learners work collaboratively on a specific topic or share ideas and materials to solve a given problem. Social interaction between learners and instructors occurs when instructors adopt strategies to promote interpersonal encouragement or social integration. The results indicate that: the social interaction group outperformed the other groups; the collaborative interaction group expressed the highest level of satisfaction with their learning experience; the collaborative and social interaction groups participated more actively in posting their opinions ...
516 citations
TL;DR: A model hypothesizing relationship quality and relationship context as antecedents of two complementary forms of interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB) was tested, and network centrality was directly associated with person-focused ICB.
Abstract: A model hypothesizing relationship quality and relationship context as antecedents of two complementary forms of interpersonal citizenship behavior (ICB) was tested. Measures with coworkers as the frame of reference were used to collect data from 273 individuals working in 2 service-oriented organizations. As hypothesized, variables reflecting relationship quality were associated with person-focused ICB, as mediated by empathic concern. Also as hypothesized, a relationship context variable, network centrality, exhibited a direct relationship with task-focused ICB. Unexpectedly, network centrality was directly associated with person-focused ICB, and empathic concern was associated with task-focused ICB. The results are discussed, and implications for research and practice are offered.
TL;DR: This paper examined the moderating effects of individual differences and sources of support on the negative relationship between work-family conflict and career satisfaction and found that the relationship was significant for women irrespective of age but was significant only for men only in later career.
Abstract: In this study, we examined the moderating effects of individual differences and sources of support on the negative relationship between work-family conflict and career satisfaction. Data from 975 managers indicated that the relationship was significant for women irrespective of age but was significant for men only in later career. Moreover, the relationship was stronger for individuals who were in the minority gender in their work groups, but it was weaker for those who had strong community ties. Implications are discussed.
TL;DR: How couples argue was more related to divorce potential than was what they argue about, although couples who argue most about money tended to have higher levels of negative communication and conflict than other couples.
Abstract: The key relationship dynamics of communication, conflict, and commitment were investigated using data from a randomly sampled, nationwide phone survey of adults in married, engaged, and cohabiting relationships. Findings on communication and conflict generally replicated those of studies using more indepth or objective measurement strategies. Negative interaction between partners was negatively associated with numerous measures of relationship quality and positively correlated with divorce potential (thinking or talking about divorce). Withdrawal during conflict by either or both partners, though quite common, was associated with more negativity and less positive connection in relationships. The most frequently reported issue that couples argue about in first marriages was money, and in re-marriages it was conflict about children. Overall, how couples argue was more related to divorce potential than was what they argue about, although couples who argue most about money tended to have higher levels of negative communication and conflict than other couples. Further, while the male divorce potential was more strongly linked to levels of negative interaction, the female was more strongly linked to lower positive connection in the relationship. Consistent with the commitment literature, higher reported commitment was associated with less alternative monitoring, less feeling trapped in the relationship, and greater relationship satisfaction.
TL;DR: In this article, Luscher and Pillemer developed the concept of ambivalence as structurally created contradictions that are made manifest in interaction and discussed how their reconceptualization enhances the relevance of the concept to sociological analyses of family ties.
Abstract: A SYMPOSIUM ON AMBIVALENCE IN INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS We develop the concept of ambivalence as structurally created contradictions that are made manifest in interaction. We discuss how our reconceptualization enhances the relevance of ambivalence to sociological analyses of family ties. Ambivalence is a particularly useful concept when imbedded in a theoretical framework that views social structure as structured social relations, and individuals as actors who exercise agency as they negotiate relationships within the constraints of social structure. The strengths of conceptualizing ambivalence within this framework are illustrated with examples of caring for older family members and of balancing paid work and family responsibilities. Key Words: agency, ambivalence, family ties, gender, intergenerational relations, social structure. A long-standing concern in family research generally, and about intergenerational ties in particular, is the limited development of theoretical concepts and perspectives. Assessments of research and theory related to family ties and aging have emphasized several key themes: the need for multilevel analysis that connects interactions within families to social structure and culture, the importance of viewing conflict as a central feature of social life, the need to focus on relationships and families rather than on individuals exclusively, and the necessity to consider diversity in family life (Cohler & Altergott, 1995; Marshall, Matthews, & Rosenthal, 1993). These concerns combine in a call for bridging concepts that link social structure and individual action (Marshall, 1996). North American thinking about intergenerational family ties has been dominated by the solidarity model (Connidis, 2001), a perspective with limits to addressing these concerns because of its normative underpinnings (Marshall et al., 1993). A second common approach that focuses on the problems families face (e.g., caregiving, elder abuse) also falls short because it emphasizes the interpersonal conflict that results from family problems, rather than structural issues or links between social structure and the actions of family members. A concept with the potential to address the weaknesses of these perspectives and several other gaps in family and aging theory is ambivalence (Luscher & Pillemer, 1998). Our objective is to assess and further develop the concept of sociological ambivalence as it applies to family ties. As used to date, ambivalence may be defined as simultaneously held opposing feelings or emotions that are due in part to countervailing expectations about how individuals should act. Thus, ambivalence reflects the contradiction and paradox that are characteristic of social experience (Luscher & Pillemer, 1998; Smelser, 1998). Ambivalence has been conceptualized at two levels. At the social structural level, sociological ambivalence has been viewed as contradictory normative expectations that occur in institutional resources and requirements (statuses, roles, and norms) (Coser, 1966; Lischer & Pillemer, 1998; Merton & Barber, 1963). At the individual level, psychological ambivalence has been referred to as contradictions that are primarily subjective and evident in cognitions, emotions, and motivations (Luscher & Pillemer, 1998; Smelser, 1998). In our view, to serve as a more useful concept in the study of social life, including family interaction, ambivalence must be reconceptualized. In this article, we argue, first, that sociological ambivalence is conceptualized better as a feature of structured sets of social relations. Second, the contradictions and paradoxes of socially structured relations are reproduced in interpersonal relationships, including those between family members. Third, as social actors, individuals seek to exercise agency in the negotiation of relationships, and they experience ambivalence when social structural arrangements constrain their attempts to do so. …
TL;DR: The study of leadership exchanges is extended by studying both leader-member exchanges (LMXs) and coworker exchanges (CWXs), and as predicted, the interaction between 2 coworkers' LMX scores predicted CWX quality for the coworker dyad.
Abstract: The study of leadership exchanges is extended by studying both leader-member exchanges (LMXs) and coworker exchanges (CWXs). Data from 110 coworker dyads were used to examine relationships between LMXs and CWXs and between exchange relationships and work attitudes. As predicted, the interaction between 2 coworkers' LMX scores predicted CWX quality for the coworker dyad. Also, after controlling for LMX, greater diversity in a worker's CWX relationships was negatively related to his or her organizational commitment but not job satisfaction. The quality of a worker's CWX relationships, however, did not moderate the relationship between CWX diversity and work attitudes.
TL;DR: The notion of structural ambivalence has been further explored in the context of intergenerational relations by as mentioned in this paper, where the authors argue that it is a phenomenological reality, a universal human experience, and a reflection of the dilemmas we face in close relationships.
Abstract: Key Words: affect, ambivalence, conflict, intergenerational relations, solidarity, theory. Ambivalence is an apt term to describe the contradictions we experience in our intimate social relationships. We can feel it: the paradox between closeness and distance, the push and pull between intimacy and setting boundaries. Ambivalence is a phenomenological reality, a universal human experience, a reflection of the dilemmas we face in close relationships. That ambivalent feelings characterize family interactions will be no surprise to family therapists and psychotherapists because much of their practice involves helping people disentangle difficulties in close-but-distant intimate relationships. Nor should the notion of ambivalence be a surprise to family researchers because they examine often conflicting data concerning the antecedents and consequences of family processes on some outcome. But does the concept of intergenerational ambivalence, proposed initially by Luscher and Pillemer (1998) and now expanded by Connidis and McMullin, provide something significantly new-- a more useful way to conceptualize and theorize family relationships than previous conceptualizations have achieved? If so, how should the concept of ambivalence be refined and operationalized in order to provide a better understanding of family relationships? How does it relate to other, more established, concepts such as what has become known as the intergenerational solidarity paradigm (Lowenstein, Katz, Prilutzky, & Hassoen, 2001)? These are some of the questions raised by Connidis and McMullin in their examination of "Sociological ambivalence and family ties." These are theoretical issues important to examine. We congratulate Journal of Marriage and Family in highlighting this theoretical discussion for public debate. We congratulate Connidis and McMullin for their efforts to address the ambiguities of the intergenerational ambivalence concept and to strengthen its utility. Such explication moves the debate forward and will advance the building of theory in family research. CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE AMBIVALENCE CONCEPT What is ambivalence in intergenerational relationships? Luscher and Pillemer (1998) delineate two types: (a) sociological or structural ambivalence, which stems from an individual's location in the social structure, and (b) psychological or individual ambivalence, which refers to the feelings or sentiments experienced by individuals when faced with structural ambivalence. Their general definition of ambivalence, ". . . contradictions in relationships between parents and adult offspring that cannot be reconciled" (LOscher & Pillemer, p. 416), incorporates both types. Connidis and McMullin applaud Lischer and Pillemer for going beyond previous conceptualizations of intergenerational relations that have been typified as wholly harmonious or wholly conflictual. However, they suggest that Luscher and Pillemer do not go far enough. Drawing on themes from critical theory (a rubric incorporating themes from Marxism, feminism, and the Frankfurt school), Connidis and McMullin argue that ambivalence must be reconceptualized as "socially structured contradictions made manifest in interaction" (p. 565). They assert that their concept of structured ambivalence is distinct from Uscher and Pillemer's structural or sociological ambivalence. The Connidis and McMullin reconceptualization of ambivalence as socially structured emphasizes that: (a) ambivalence is a feature of structured sets of social relationships within which certain groups are privileged, (b) individuals exercise agency (to the extent possible) when dealing with ambivalence, (c) the negotiation of ambivalence takes place through social interaction, and (d) conflict is an inevitable feature of interpersonal relationships, including intergenerational relationships. Connidis and McMullin's construct of structured ambivalence adds to our understanding of family relationships. …
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose bases for a workplace pedagogy based on intentional guidance and sequenced access to workplace activities, which represent some key workplace pedagogic practices.
Abstract: This article proposes bases for a workplace pedagogy. Planes of intentional guidance and sequenced access to workplace activities represent some key workplace pedagogic practices. Guidance by other...
TL;DR: Narcissism was associated primarily with a game-playing love style, self-esteem was negatively linked to manic love and positively linked to passionate love across studies, and implications for the understanding of narcissism in relationships are discussed.
Abstract: Five studies investigated the links among narcissism, self-esteem, and love. Across all studies, narcissism was associated primarily with a game-playing love style. This link was found in reports of general love styles (Study 1a) and of love in ongoing romantic relationships (Studies 1b-3, 5). Narcissists' game-playing love style was the result of a need for power and autonomy (Study 2) and was linked with greater relationship alternatives and lesser commitment (Study 3). Finally, narcissists' self-reports of game playing were confirmed by their partners in past and current relationships (Studies 4, 5). In contrast, self-esteem was negatively linked to manic love and positively linked to passionate love across studies. Implications for the understanding of narcissism in relationships are discussed.
TL;DR: The authors examined the effects of peers' and parents' attitudes regarding academic performance on students' educational aspirations in 12 countries and found that peers and parents influence educational aspirations while the influence of significant others is negligible in societies with more differentiated secondary education.
Abstract: Research in the United States has found that peers and parents play an important role in shaping students' educational aspirations. Little research has examined the extent to which these findings apply in other countries or whether the role of significant others varies according to the organization of national educational systems. This article examines the effects of peers' and parents' attitudes regarding academic performance on students' educational aspirations in 12 countries. The results indicate that peers and parents influence educational aspirations in countries with relatively undifferentiated secondary schooling, like the United States, while the influence of significant others is negligible in societies with more differentiated secondary education. In these latter systems, it appears that aspirations are largely determined by the type of school the student attends; there is little room for interpersonal effects. The effects of significant others on students' aspirations depend, in large part, on the structural features of the educational systems in which they operate
TL;DR: The present study examined the influence of stable personality traits on romantic relationships using longitudinal data on a large, representative sample of young adults, suggesting that some people tend to be generally happy across relationships, and this is due, in part, to stable individual differences in personality.
Abstract: The present study examined the influence of stable personality traits on romantic relationships using longitudinal data on a large, representative sample of young adults. Relationship experiences (quality, conflict, and abuse) showed relatively small mean-level changes over time and significant levels of rank-order stability, even across different relationship partners. Antecedent personality traits (assessed at age 18) predicted relationship experiences at age 26 and change in relationship experiences from age 21 to 26. Conversely, relationship experiences also predicted change in personality. Importantly, these findings generally held across relationship partners, suggesting that some people tend to be generally happy (or unhappy) across relationships, and this is due, in part, to stable individual differences in personality. Discussion focuses on the broader implications of the findings, in particular the need for relationship researchers to consider the importance of personality for why relationships thrive or fail and the need for personality researchers to consider the impact of relationship experiences on intraindividual personality development.
TL;DR: Widowed persons had higher levels of informal social participation than nonwidowed persons, whereas formal social participation levels were comparable between the two groups.
Abstract: Purpose This study evaluated how levels of social participation change as a result of late-life widowhood. Social participation is a multidimensional construct incorporating both formal (e.g., meeting attendance, religious participation, and volunteer obligations) and informal (e.g., telephone contact and social interactions with friends) social roles. Design and methods Using data from the Changing Lives of Older Couples study, analyses compared widowed persons to continuously married control participants to evaluate whether widowhood affects older adults' levels of social participation. Results Widowed persons had higher levels of informal social participation than nonwidowed persons, whereas formal social participation levels were comparable between the two groups. Social participation levels decrease before the death of a spouse, primarily because of poor spousal health, and increase following the loss, because of increased support from friends and relatives. Implications Maintaining continuity in the realm of social participation is a strategy older adults use to cope with spousal loss; however, not all widowed persons have the same resources to alter their levels of social participation.
TL;DR: The relationship of attachment style to clinical depression is increased by differentiating the degree of insecurity of style and differentiating hostile and non-hostile avoidance.
Abstract: Background Although there are an increasing number of studies showing an association of adult attachment style to depressive disorder, such studies have rarely utilised epidemiological approaches with large community-based series and have relied heavily on brief self-report measurement of both attachment style and symptoms. The result is a wide inconsistency in the type of insecure style shown to relate to disorder. The present study examined adult attachment style in a high-risk community sample of women in relation to clinical depression. It utilised an interview measure of adult attachment which allowed for an assessment of both type of attachment style and the degree of insecurity of attachment. A companion paper examines its relationship with other depressive-vulnerability (Bifulco et al. 2002). Method Two hundred and twenty-two high-risk and 80 comparison women were selected from questionnaire screenings of London GP patient lists and intensively interviewed. A global scale of attachment style based on supportive relationships (with partner and very close others) together with attitudes to support-seeking, derived the four styles paralleling those from self-report attachment assessments (Secure, Enmeshed, Fearful, Avoidant). In order to additionally reflect hostility in the scheme, the Avoidant category was subdivided into “Angry-dismissive” and “Withdrawn”. The degree to which attitudes and behaviour within such styles were dysfunctional (“non-standard”) was also assessed. Attachment style was examined in relation to clinical depression in a 12-month period. For a third of the series this was examined prospectively to new onset of disorder. Results The presence of any insecure style was significantly related to 12-month depression. However, when controls were made for depressive symptomatology at interview, only the “non-standard” levels of Enmeshed, Fearful or Angry-dismissive styles related to disorder. Withdrawn-avoidance was not significantly related to disorder. Conclusion The relationship of attachment style to clinical depression is increased by differentiating the degree of insecurity of style and differentiating hostile and non-hostile avoidance.
TL;DR: This article examined the relationship between adolescents' perceived social support and self-reported (mal)adjustment indicators in a sample of predominantly at risk: Hispanic students in an urban middle school.
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between adolescents' (N = 125) perceived social support and self-reported (mal)adjustment indicators in a sample of predominantly at risk: Hispanic students in an urban middle school. The instruments used to collect data were the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000) and the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Self Report of Personality (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1998). Results indicated significant relationships in the expected direction between overall social support and clinical and school (mal)adjustment indicators. Parent and classmate support were most strongly related to clinical and interpersonal indicators whereas parent, teacher, and school support were related to school-related indicators. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TL;DR: A new Readiness for Return-to-Work Model is proposed focusing on the interpersonal context of the work-disabled employee that complements the Phase Model of Disability by allowing for an individual-level staging of the disability and recovery process within the broader group-level-derived framework of occupational disability phases.
Abstract: Return to work after injury or illness is a behavior influenced by physical, psychological, and social factors. Disability research lacks a conceptual framework for combining these factors in the study of the return-to-work process. Two extant theoretical models withinthe social context are considered as they apply to the behavior of returning to work: 1) the Readiness for Change Model originating from the field of health promotion and addressing the issue of motivation for behavior change, and 2) the Phase Model of Disability developed for the epidemiological study of occupational disability addressing the developmental and temporal aspects of disability. A new Readiness for Return-to-Work Model is proposed focusing on the interpersonal context of the work-disabled employee. Employee interactions with the workplace, the health care, and insurance systems are considered as they impact the three defining dimensions of change—decisional balance, self-efficacy, and change processes. The evidence for their impact on return-to-work is examined within the framework of the Phase Model of Disability, which puts forth the phase-specificity of symptoms, risks, and interventions for disability. The Readiness for Return-to-Work Model has the potential to account for individual variation in optimal stage-specific timing of interventions based on an individual's readiness for return-to-work. The model therefore complements the Phase Model of Disability by allowing for an individual-level staging of the disability and recovery process within the broader group-level-derived framework of occupational disability phases. This link between the two models needs to be empirically tested in future research.
TL;DR: The variation of sexual motivation with duration of partnership is analyzed in data from a survey of German students and an explanation from evolutionary psychology is offered: the psychological mechanisms of attachment in an adult pair bond have evolved from the parent–child bond.
Abstract: The variation of sexual motivation with duration of partnership is analyzed in data from a survey of German students. The sample of 1865 includes only students aged 19-32 who reported to be heterosexual and to live in a steady partnership. Main results are (1) sexual activity and sexual satisfaction decline in women and men as the duration of partnership increases; (2) sexual desire only declines in women; and (3) desire for tenderness declines in men and rises in women. Because these results are based on cross-sectional data, a longitudinal explanation is precarious. Individual differences in mating strategy associated with the probability of having a partnership of shorter or longer duration at the time of the survey may account for some part of the findings. This possibility set aside, post hoc explanations for the results as reflecting a modal time course of partnership are evaluated with regard to habituation, routine, gender role prescriptions, and polarization of roles. In addition, an explanation from evolutionary psychology is offered, entailing the following ideas: the psychological mechanisms of attachment in an adult pair bond have evolved from the parent-child bond. Due to this nonsexual origin, a stable pair-bond does not require high levels of sexual desire, after an initial phase of infatuation has passed. Nevertheless, male sexual desire should stay at a high level because it was selected for in evolutionary history as a precaution against the risk of sperm competition. The course of female sexual desire is assumed to reflect an adaptive function: to boost attachment in order to establish the bond.
TL;DR: There is a need to further refine the conceptualisation of the behaviours to be explained, to develop a coherent theory of the causal and maintaining processes, and to carry out prospective studies with adequate numbers of high risk children.
Abstract: Background: This paper reviews recent evidence on the causes and maintenance of aggressive and disruptive behaviours in childhood and adolescence. It considers the relative merits of several different ways of conceptualising such problems, in relation to the contribution of biological, psychological and social factors. Method: It focuses on conduct problems appearing in young childhood, which greatly increase the likelihood of persistent antisocial behaviours in adolescence and adult life in association with wider interpersonal and social role impairments. It considers the contribution of individual factors, including impaired verbal skills, deficits in executive functions, and an imbalance between behavioural activation and inhibition systems. These are viewed in interaction with commonly associated environmental disadvantages such as hostile or intrusive parenting. The roles of attributional biases, unrealistic self-evaluations, and insecure attachment are considered in relation to affect regulation, and effective social action. The contributions of the wider social environments of peers, neighbourhood and socio-economic conditions are evaluated. Conclusions: The paper concludes that, although considerable progress has been made over the past ten years, there is a need to further refine our conceptualisation of the behaviours to be explained, to develop a coherent theory of the causal and maintaining processes, and to carry out prospective studies with adequate numbers of high risk children.
TL;DR: Five candidate measures of psychological need-satisfaction were evaluated as predictors of high positive and low negative mood within the group, intrinsic motivation for group activities, and high commitment to the group and showed consistent with self-determination theory.
Abstract: Five candidate measures of psychological need-satisfaction were evaluated as predictors of high positive and low negative mood within the group, intrinsic motivation for group activities, and high commitment to the group. Consistent with self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1991), personal autonomy and interpersonal relatedness both predicted positive outcomes. Consistent with optimal distinctiveness theory (Brewer, 1991), feeling included within the group, feeling personally distinctive within the group, and feeling that the group is distinctive compared to other groups, also predicted positive outcomes. Simultaneous regression analyses indicated that the five needs were differentially related to the different well-being indicators, and also suggested that group inclusion may be the most important need to satisfy within group contexts. Supplementary analyses showed that members of formal groups felt less personal autonomy, but more group distinctiveness, compared to informal group members.
TL;DR: This paper investigated the interactional properties and developmental functions of four types of aggressive behaviors: social aggression, direct relational aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression, using conflict narratives reported by adolescents in grade 7 (mean age = 13.4 years).
Abstract: Using conflict narratives reported by adolescents in grade 7 (mean age = 13.4 years), this study investigated the interactional properties and developmental functions of four types of aggressive behaviors: social aggression, direct relational aggression, physical aggression, and verbal aggression. A total of 475 participants from the Carolina Longitudinal Study (Cairns & Cairns, 1994) were included. Results showed that the majority of conflict interactions involved more than a dyad. The use of social aggression (e.g., concealed social attack) was associated with more individuals involved in the conflict. Social aggression was primarily reported as an initiating behavior for interpersonal conflicts, while direct relational aggression was a responding behavior. Medium to high levels of reciprocity were found for physical, verbal, and direct relational aggression, whereas a low level of reciprocity was reported for social aggression. School authorities were most likely to intervene in physical aggression. The use of social aggression was associated with higher network centrality among adolescents. Developmental maladjustment in late adolescence and early adulthood was primarily predicted by physical aggression.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used data from the multidisciplinary Berlin Aging Study to describe social participation of a very old population and examine individual differences and changes over time, and they distinguished three types of participation with respect to content, context and resources required to participate: collective, productive, and political participation.
Abstract: Social participation, defined as socially oriented sharing of individual resources, is often regarded as an important criterion of quality of life in old age. We distinguished three types of participation with respect to content, context, and resources required to participate: collective, productive, and political participation. Data from the multidisciplinary Berlin Aging Study were used to describe social participation of a very old population and to examine individual differences and changes over time. Analyses showed that social participation is cumulative. Individuals who engaged in political activities also took part in the other two types, and those who engaged in productive activities also participated in collective activities. Although many persons changed their social participation over the 4-year period, the cumulative pattern within the population remained unchanged. Educational and occupational resources were positively related to the intensity of social participation in old age, but changes in social participation could be better explained by age and health.
TL;DR: In this article, the association between racial discrimination and depression was investigated in a relatively comprehensive assessment of general social stress. But the results showed that these perceptions contribute almost nothing to an understanding of the origins of racial differences in depression.
Abstract: We consider the association between racial discrimination and depression in a relatively comprehensive assessment of general social stress. Data for this investigation come from a sample of Miami-Dade County young adults; the present analyses are limited to African American and white non-Hispanic respondents. Findings indicate that perceptions of discrimination are strongly related to psychological distress. Surprisingly, however, these perceptions contribute almost nothing to an understanding of the origins of racial differences in depression. It appears that differences in lifetime adversity and in exposure to recent and chronic stressors capture those variations in personal history and circumstance which are linked to and arise from social disadvantage and which are relevant to mental health. Variations in these more general forms of social stress account for observed racial differences in depressive symptomatology.